Celebrating Artistic Excellence: Meet the Top 4 Finalists of the ADAMA SEED Award
Introducing the top 4 finalists for the ADAMA SEED Award, an accolade celebrating the profound creativity and diversity within the African diaspora. These finalists have been selected for their extraordinary contributions to the arts, standing alongside Dr. Arturo Lindsay in the Nellie Mae Rowe prize category.
The Judith Alexander Foundation (JAF) honors the multifaceted legacy of the late art patron, Judith Alexander, by supporting Georgia visual artists and by preserving and expanding recognition of the extraordinary existence and artistry of Nellie Mae Rowe.
Flowers x Seeds advances ADAMA's mission to spotlight the arts and culture of the African Diaspora by "giving flowers" to artists of African descent who have made a substantial impact but have remained largely unrecognized by the broader art world.
MEET THE FINALISTS
Hasani Sahlehe
Hasani Sahlehe is a contemporary artist As a native from the Virgin Islands, @sahlehe is proud to create work that contemporary, but reflects back to the African diaspora. His body of work offers a diverse array of abstract paintings and are beautifully characterized by vibrant color fields and intricate patterns, creating a unique visual language that is both emotive and thought-provoking.
Sahlehe’s artistry is deeply rooted in exploring and expressing complex emotions and narratives through colors and forms. Each piece one is a testament to his skill in using abstract forms to convey powerful messages and evoke strong emotional responses.
“Sahlehe’s paintings echo a personal and perhaps collective history, serving as impressions of simultaneously corporeal and emotional moments. This remembering draws us to feel into a place that thinking can’t quite access, to dissolve the stories we tell ourselves and simply recall. Singing in the Response forms one chorus, calling back to moments past and culminating in one elusive dream.”- Burnaway
Kelly Taylor Mitchell
Kelly Taylor Mitchell (she/her, b. 1994) is an artist and educator who lives and works in Atlanta, GA where she is currently a 2023-2024 Midtown Alliance Artist-in-Residence, a 2023-2024 Arts & Social Justice Fellow at Emory University, a 2023-2024 BIPOC Lyndon House Arts Foundation Fellow, and an Assistant Professor of Art and Visual Culture at Spelman College. Kelly’s multidisciplinary practice centers oral history and ancestral memory, real and imagined, woven into the fabric of the Africana Diaspora. Her work is deeply invested in labor intensive making, slowness, and home-spun passed down processes.
Grace Kisa
Grace Kisa is an artist who expresses deep emotions through her art. Her portfolio a ranges from installation art, mixed media sculptures, and public art. Her pieces often explore themes of mobility, navigation, and the human experience in a profound way. For instance, "JOURNEY(ING)" is an installation that delves into migration routes, while "COGITATIVITY" examines the future of work in the context of AI and automation. Her public art piece "ALL IN ONE," created in collaboration with Ellex Swavoni, is a vivid expression of mythical and celestial themes. Grace Kisa's work is rooted in a vision of art that speaks to the soul, creating impactful and meaningful experiences for viewers.
Marryam Moma
Marryam Moma is an artist known for her work in the ICONoclasts series, showcasing a range of pieces that include figurative, mixed media, and floral themes. Her art often features rich, vibrant colors and intricate designs, and is available for purchase on her website. Moma's works, demonstrate a deep engagement with themes of identity, culture, and experience, revealing a unique and captivating artistic voice.
The Flowers x Seeds Gala is scheduled to take place in February 2024. This highly anticipated event promises to be an immersive experience that celebrates the richness and diversity of the African diaspora while also fostering meaningful connections and shared learning opportunities.
ABOUT THE AWARD
The Judith Alexander Foundation has generously provided a grant for the first presentation of The Nellie Mae Rowe Award to be awarded to our committee-selected Flower and Seed honorees.
The Judith Alexander Foundation (JAF) honors the multifaceted legacy of the late art patron, Judith Alexander, by supporting Georgia visual artists and by preserving and expanding recognition of the extraordinary existence and artistry of Nellie Mae Rowe.